Means for the protection of ships, both mercantile and navy ships, against submarine attacks or mines.



E. FERRATI, N. PECORARO & A. GUIDONI. MEANS FOR THE PROTECTION OF SHIPS, BOTH IVIERCANTILE AND NAVY SHIPS, AGAINST SUBMARINE ATTACKS OR MINES.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9,1918.

H. Quid/0771b.

E. FERRATI, N. PECORARO & A. GUIDONI.

MEANS FOR THE PROTECTION OF SHIPS, BOTH MEHCANTILE AND NAVY SHIPS, AGAINST SUBMARINE ATTACKS 0R MINES.

Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY 9| I918. 1,299,697.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

I? Gui/dank By azxwww UNIE snares PATEN EDGARDO FERRATI, OF ROME, NINO PECORARO, OF SPEZIA, AND ALESSANDRO GUIDONI, F ROME, ITALY, ASSIGNORS TO SOCIETA ANONIMA ITALIANA. GIO. ANSALDO & (3.. OF

CORNIGLIANO LIGURE, ITALY;

MEANS FOR THE PROTECTION OF SHIPS, BOTH MERCANTILE AND NAVY SHIPS, AGAINST I SUBMARINE ATTACKS OR MINES. 1

Application filed J u-1y 9, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Limit-General EDGARDO FERRATI, Royal Corps Italian Naval Architects, Lieut-Colonel Nino Pnco- KARO, Royal Corps Italian Naval Architects, and Major ALESSANDRO Ginnoni, 'Royal Corps Italian Naval Architects, subjects of the King of Italy, and residing, respectively, at Rome, 'Spezia, and Rome, Italy (whose post-office address is Ministero di Marina, Rome), have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Means for the Protection of Ships, Both Mercantile and Navy Ships, Against Submarine Attacks or Mines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention, forming object of this application, relates to improvements in the means of protection of ships against submarine attacks or mines.

As a matter of fact the arming of ships with guns and gunners, the escorting of convoys with warships, the patrolling of the routes and other means until now employed, have given good results, but not sufficiently to completely insure the safety of the ships from submarine attacks.

To neutralize the submarine blockade, it is necessary to provide the ship itself with a protective structure, such as to resist the explosion of one or more torpedoes; and to keep the ship afloat and in good condition of navigability after the same has been struck by a torpedo.

A system which answers the said purpose is the one hereinafter described. Ithas been designed and practically applied by the inventors with the cooperation of the Royal Navy of Italy.

The system is described and illustrated in one of its forms of application by the accompanying drawing in which:

Fi ure 1 is a main section through the framing of the air chamber.

Fig. 2, is a main section corresponding to a water tight bulkhead of the air chamber,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line a-a of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a main transverse section of the ship.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8,1919.

Serial No. 244,106.

Fig. 5 is a transversesection taken at the bow or the stern of the ship.

In the above figures the form of hull and its structure are as usual in merchant ships,

but in the case of naval ship both form of I hull and structure will be as are or shall be convenient for such ships. v

With reference to the drawings in particular, the protective structure is entirely applied to the outside of the ship, leaving its inside completely free and unaltered so that its loading capacity in volumeremains =unchanged. Moreover the protective strucsumes a permanent character of useful application in the case of War ships towhich the present application for patent is extended.

.The structure is constituted by a reinforced concrete wall A applied 011 the sides of the ships hull, and by an air chamber -B- fastened over the reinforced concrete wall A, such chamber causing a torpedo, striking the vessel, to explode at a certain distance from the concrete wall, so that said wall will be spaced a sufficient distance from the explosion to withstand the blow of the explosion.

The air chamber may be built with any suitable material such as iron steel or other metal, wood and also reinforced concrete. The said chamber may be formed by a series of water tight sections detachably arranged one near to another.

In the form shown by the drawings, the chamber B, is provided with several water tight bulk-heads -D to reduce the portion of the chamber flooded by the explosion of the torpedo.

The wall A is externally lined with an iron sheeting C, not absolutely necessary, but which may increase the resistance of the: concrete wall, and on Which the air chamber B is applied.

It is, well that the wall A be molded in a' continuous way, without any separa tion' which may diminish the efiiciency of the wall itself,

The conglomerate constituting the concrete wall may be made with pure cement, cement and sand or cement sand and gravel orminute stones, also of pozzolana or any other similar materials with which a good adhesive and resistant conglomerate can be obtained.

To obtain an efficient protection against the explosions of the actual, or of more powerful torpedoes, the reinforced concrete wall should be at least 80 centimeters (about 30") thick, and the air chamber 185 centimeters (about 7 0"); By increasing the size of wall and of the air chamber a better protect-ion is obtained and vice versa, The structure is applied all along the hull, from stem to stern, and from the keel up to and above'the load water line, as it is shown by Figs. 4 and 5. V

The hereinbefore described protective system answers very well the purpose for which it was devised and may be applied to any type of ship, mercantile as well as naval. With this improvement the ship is also protected against the explosion of anchored or floating mines.

The stem and stern bulkheads of the ship are also lined with a thick layer of reinforced concrete to protect the ships bow and stern to provide for the. reduced protection due to the reduced thickness of the structure, to the shape of the ship and to the sftreamline construction of the structure itsel L 1. Improvements in means for the protection of ships against submarine attacks of torpedoes and mines, constituted by a structure fixed to the outside of the ships hull all along its sides and from the keel up and above the load water line, the said structure comprising a reinforced concrete wall applied to the ships hull, and an air chamber applied over the said reinforced concrete wall.

2. Improvements in means for the, protection of ships against torpedo attacks and mines, comprising a reinforced concrete wall, and a water tight air chamber of any suitable material, the said air chamber be ingformed with a plurality of water tight elementseasily detachable and changeable, v

the said elements serving the purpose of exploding a torpedo or mine at a sufficient distance from the reinforced concrete wall to prevent damages to it and consequently to the ships hull.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of' two witnesses.

It is well understood that'no royalty of any kind shallbe claimed during the present War time for the use of this patent on ships involved in commercial trade;

EDGARDO FERRATI. NINO PECORARO. ALESSALNDRO GUIDONI. Witnesses:

G. B. ZANARDQ, CAMILLE P-ERRoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents,

Washington. I). G. V 

